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Estonian choral music in New York City
by Mimi S. Daitz for Vocal Area Network
Posted March 24, 2010

Estonian National Library Women's ChorusEvery year the New York Estonian House, located at 243 East 34th Street, presents New Yorgi Eesti Kultuuripäevad--NY Estonian Cultural Days--several days of Estonian films, drama, visual arts, lectures and music. This year, on Friday, March 26, at 7:30 PM, the Estonian National Library Women's Chorus will perform a concert of Estonian music not readily available to New York audiences.

Founded in 1991, the year that Estonia got its independence from the Soviet Union, the ENL Women's Chorus is presently conducted by Anneli Surva and Kristi Jagodin. It is their first tour in the United States, although they have performed in many other countries including France, Italy the U.K., Austria, Russia, Latvia and the Czech Republic. Numerous Estonian composers have written compositions or arrangements for them.

The March 26 program includes works by some composers whose names may be familiar to VAN readers who know of the great Estonian choral tradition:  Gustav Ernesaks (1908-93), Urmas Sisask (b. 1960), Cyrillus Kreek (1889-1962) and Veljo Tormis (b. 1930). Not known here is the important composer (in the opinion of this writer) Ester Mägi (b. 1922). Other composers whose music we have not heard here include Piret Rips (b. 1965), Alo Ritsing (b. 1936), Olav Ehala (b. 1950) and Mart Jaanson (b. 1966). Tickets for the concert are $10 and may be purchased at the door.  For further information, contact the event coordinator, Kart Ulman, at KartUlman@gmail.com.


Mimi S. Daitz is a conductor and musicologist.


Content Contact: Mimi S. Daitz.
Revision Date: September 27, 2010.
Technical Contact: Steve Friedman.

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